Secret Nicehttp://www.secretnice.com
The stuff the travel guide never tells you…Tue, 22 Sep 2015 09:07:35 +0000enhourly1SHOPPING IN NICEhttp://www.secretnice.com/uncategorized/2015/09/shopping-nice
http://www.secretnice.com/uncategorized/2015/09/shopping-nice#respondSun, 20 Sep 2015 20:15:03 +0000http://www.secretnice.com/?p=852Shopping in Nice has just got better. Nice Etoile, on Jean-Medecin, is now open on Sunday. The shopping centre is well laid out and has a number of shops and restaurants. Possibly the biggest H&M in Europe – Rotterdam may have the biggest store – is also now open on Jean Medicin. It occupies the […]

Shopping in Nice has just got better. Nice Etoile, on Jean-Medecin, is now open on Sunday. The shopping centre is well laid out and has a number of shops and restaurants.

Possibly the biggest H&M in Europe – Rotterdam may have the biggest store – is also now open on Jean Medicin. It occupies the former Virgin store. Also on Jean-Medecin is Sephora, Zara, Bershka and Fnac

Galerie Layfayette accessories and make-up departments have had a face-lift. Well worth a visit and also on Jean Medecin

If you are wondering down Rue de France Petit Bateaux and Comptoires des Cotonniers are worth a look. And for those of you who were teens in the 80’s, there is also an Etam.

Vieux Nice
Cours Saleya is open on Sunday morning. Selling flowers and fruit and vegetable. On Monday the market sells antiques and vintage household items

]]>The best place to get your tourte aux blettes in Nice is La Fougasserie (5 Rue de la Poisonnerie, Vieux Nice, 06300). This bakery is just behind Cours Saleya. But if you fancy making your own, the recipe for savoury tourte aux blettes is below:

PREPARE THE PASTRY:
Combine the flour and salt in a medium-size bowl. Stir in the water, then the oil, mixing until thoroughly blended. Knead briefly. The dough will be very moist, much like a cookie dough. Press the dough into a 10 1/2-inch metal pie dish.

PREPARE THE FILLING:
Wash and dry the green leafy portion of the chard, discarding the center white stem. Roughly chop the leaves. Place the chard in a large, shallow frying pan and season with salt and pepper. Over low heat, wilt the chard and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Combine the eggs and the cheese in a medium-size bowl and mix until thoroughly blended. Stir in the chard, mix well, then pour the vegetable mixture into the prepared tart tin.

Bake until the crust is golden and the chard mixture is firm and browned, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven to cool. Serve at room temperature.

]]>http://www.secretnice.com/food-drink/recipes/2015/09/tourte-aux-blettes-salee-recipe/feed0NEW BLOOD?http://www.secretnice.com/things-to-do/nightlife/2015/03/new-blood
http://www.secretnice.com/things-to-do/nightlife/2015/03/new-blood#respondMon, 09 Mar 2015 20:12:32 +0000http://www.secretnice.com/?p=793On Saturday night I made a new discovery. Chantier Sang Neuf, an abattoire for many years was turned into a gallery/music/theatre venue a few years ago. It is a great space that retains the character and ‘charm’ if that is the right word of its former use. There is even a faint smell of blood […]

]]>On Saturday night I made a new discovery. Chantier Sang Neuf, an abattoire for many years was turned into a gallery/music/theatre venue a few years ago. It is a great space that retains the character and ‘charm’ if that is the right word of its former use. There is even a faint smell of blood in the room where the animals were slaughtered.

Getting there

Chantier Sang Neuf is very easy to get to. We took the tram to Vauban, a slightly desolate corner of Nice and then walked for about 5 minutes

]]>http://www.secretnice.com/things-to-do/nightlife/2015/03/new-blood/feed08 OF THE BESThttp://www.secretnice.com/things-to-do/2015/03/10-best
http://www.secretnice.com/things-to-do/2015/03/10-best#respondWed, 04 Mar 2015 23:06:32 +0000http://www.secretnice.com/?p=7878 of the best places to visit in and around Nice Musee Marc Chagall At Avenue Docteur Menard this new museum is well worth a trip to the quartier of Cimiez in Nice. Musee Matisse is a little further up Boulevard Cimiez at 164 Avenue des Arenes de Cimiez St Paul du Vence The beautiful […]

At Avenue Docteur Menard this new museum is well worth a trip to the quartier of Cimiez in Nice. Musee Matisse is a little further up Boulevard Cimiez at 164 Avenue des Arenes de Cimiez

St Paul du Vence

The beautiful medieval village perched on a hill with views to the coast. Packed full of little art galleries, can be quite touristy in the summer but it is really beautiful. There is a very good restaurant on the way into the village called Le Saint-Paul; it is a relais chateau property so definitely not cheap but worth the extra expense. Very near the village is the Fondation Maeght, a small art gallery and garden in a beautiful setting with art and sculptures by Bonnard, Braque, Calder, Chagall, Giacometti, Léger, Miró to name a few.

Opening times from October to June are 10 – 12.30 and 14.30 – 18.00 and 10 – 19.00 in July and August. In Vence the town next door to St Paul du Vence there is a chapel that was painted by Matisse, Chapelle Matisse

http://www.fondation-maeght.com/

The Fondation Maeght

Getting there
By car drive out of Nice to Cagnes Sur Mer then take the road from the centre of town up to the right and follow the signs to St Paul du Vence.

Eze Village

Another village perche this time above Eze, quite small but worth a detour if you are driving past.

Michelin star restaurant le Chevre d’Or is in the centre of the village. A meal for two with wine can set you back 300euros! The restaurant is open between November 16 – March 1

http://www.chevredor.com/fr/chateau-chevre-d-or-eze-official-site.php

Getting there
Take the moyenne Corniche out of Nice and drive through Eze; Eze Village is to your right. There is probably a bus that stops at the village but it is probably only worth a detour in a car as it is quite small and there are not many things to see around the village

Villefranche old town

A beautiful little village, best time is to walk around it is in the evening, although it also has a lovely beach. There is a fantastic restaurant in the first square you come to called Le Cosmo. The fois gras starter is really great and you are unlikely to have room for a main course after this starter

Getting there
By train take the train to Villefranche. By car take the Basse Corniche until you reach Villefranche then turn right into the old town and follow the road down turning right at the mini roundabout and then follow the road down into the old town. You can park in the car park just before you reach the village to the right or carry on past the main front to the car park at the end near the beach. You may find a parking space on the road if you are lucky

St Jean Cap Ferrat

Also mentioned above for its great beaches, I would also highly recommend a visit to the Ephrussi de Rothschild Foundation, with its lovely house and gardens. The village is also very pretty

Mercantour

Mercantour National Park is an outstanding example of a mountainous area with its peaks exceeding 3,000 m, but also has a Provencal facet, with its olive trees and fields of lavender. This area of 685 km2 in Alpes-Maritimes and Alpes de Haute-Provence include the high valleys of Ubaye and Verdon. The park is virtually uninhabited and protects some 2,000 plant species, hundreds of animal species and majestic scenery such as Allos lake, the largest high altitude lake in Europe. Wolves have also recently returned to the park

Getting there
The national park is an hour’s drive from Nice by car

Mougins

Up in the hills above Cannes this picture postcard village with winding streets and galleries and little cafes and spectacular views. If you are heading up here it is well worth booking a table at L’Amandier, 48 Avenue Jean-Charles Mallet, 06250 Mougins, France +33 4 93 90 00 91

]]>http://www.secretnice.com/things-to-do/2015/03/10-best/feed0LE COULIS VERThttp://www.secretnice.com/things-to-do/architecture/2015/03/le-coulis-vert
http://www.secretnice.com/things-to-do/architecture/2015/03/le-coulis-vert#respondWed, 04 Mar 2015 22:48:35 +0000http://www.secretnice.com/?p=772Remember when this was a car park, and bus station with a MacDonalds in the bottom? The Coulis Vert has transformed the Jean Jaures and Place Massena. There are no ‘Keep off the Grass’ signs here. Tourists and locals use every inch of the park on a daily basis.

]]>Remember when this was a car park, and bus station with a MacDonalds in the bottom? The Coulis Vert has transformed the Jean Jaures and Place Massena. There are no ‘Keep off the Grass’ signs here. Tourists and locals use every inch of the park on a daily basis.

]]>http://www.secretnice.com/things-to-do/architecture/2015/03/le-coulis-vert/feed0BEST BEACHES ON THE COTE D’AZURhttp://www.secretnice.com/things-to-do/2015/03/bored-pebbles-head-best-beaches-around-nice
http://www.secretnice.com/things-to-do/2015/03/bored-pebbles-head-best-beaches-around-nice#respondWed, 04 Mar 2015 21:45:45 +0000http://www.secretnice.com/?p=752Bored of pebblesS? Head to some of the best beaches around Nice COCO BEACH – NICE Coco Beach past the port there are a number of small coves in the rocks (this is about a half our walk around the port so not always the best option if it is very hot) PALOMA PLAGE […]

Coco Beach past the port there are a number of small coves in the rocks (this is about a half our walk around the port so not always the best option if it is very hot)

PALOMA PLAGE – ST JEAN CAP FERRAT

Paloma Plage has both a public and private beach with a fantastic view of the cliffs and coastline, you can see all the way to Monaco on a clear day. You can also walk round the coast of St Jean Cap Ferrat from this beach. Simply follow the path to the right of the beach around the coast. The beach has less sun in the afternoon but if you sit on the right hand side of the beach (as you are facing the sea) you will have the sun all day.

Getting there
To get to St Jean Cap Ferrat by car follow the basse corniche. By bus take bus 81 from the bus station, which goes every half an hour until 19.30 to the port at St Jean Cap Ferrat.

The beach is on the southeast of the port, on the north side small peninsula (St Hospice). The location is about a 5-10 minutes walk from the port. From the Port, walk south and up the road past La Voile d’Or; straight, past the hotel Brise Marine, to the junction of Ave Claude Vignon; left, towards “Chapelle St. Hospice”, for about 300 m.

There is also a little shortcut through a little path up to the right called les fausses before you lose sight of the port. At the end of the path turn left and then first right until you reach the sea. There is also a beautiful little beach below this road but if you want to reach Paloma Plage turn left and follow the road until you reach the junction and follow the road up through the barriers

PLAGE MALA – CAP D’AIL

Beautiful beach surrounded by cliffs with two private beaches, which are a great place to get a drink in the evening. The restaurants are also open in the evening for dinner and sometimes have a DJ on Saturday nights.

Getting there
If you are driving follow the basse corniche round to Cap D’Ail then turn right down a steep road towards the train station park whenever you can find a space on this street and walk down to the beach.
By train take the train to Cap D’Ail and then walk along the path in front of the sea to the right hand side until you reach Plage Mala. This is about a ten to fifteen walk, the views on this coastal path are fantastic.

]]>http://www.secretnice.com/things-to-do/2015/03/bored-pebbles-head-best-beaches-around-nice/feed0THINGS TO DO IN NICE IN 2015http://www.secretnice.com/things-to-do/2015/01/things-to-do-in-nice-in-2015
http://www.secretnice.com/things-to-do/2015/01/things-to-do-in-nice-in-2015#respondWed, 28 Jan 2015 21:27:25 +0000http://www.secretnice.com/?p=739Visiting the South of France in 2015? Time your visit with one of these gems coming to Nice and the surrounding area this year BETTY BLUE COMES TO THE COTE D’AZUR The larger than life Beatrice Dalle, yes that loud and foul mouthed actress with the biggest pout in France, who played Betty in […]

Nuit des musées takes place all over Europe in May. To find out which museums in Nice will be opening and what they will be doing take a look here

KARAOKE EUROPEAN STYLE

Fete de la Musique takes place on 21st June.

A mixture of organised concerts and adhoc groups and singers will be performing in and around the old town and Place Massena

FIREWORKS IN MONACO

If you like your fire works big and bold head to Monaco on several dates between 18 July and August to see the international fireworks competition.

Each year countries compete to put on the most spectacular display. They last around 15 minutes and are set to music. They are pretty spectacular. Best places to plonk yourself for the best views are in the port or on the ramparts of Fort Antoine. The fireworks attract thousands of visitors each year so get there early.

Displays start at 9.30pm or when it gets dark, whichever happens first. The teams are really competitive, one year the Chinese accidentally blew up the end of the port in one of their super explosive (no pun intended) displays!

THE FRENCH ELVIS?

The crowned French king of rock and roll, Johnny Hallyday will be playing two shows at Theatre de Verdure on 2nd and 3rd October.

For more information and to book visit www.nikaia.fr or call 00 33 4 92 29 31 29

]]>http://www.secretnice.com/things-to-do/2015/01/things-to-do-in-nice-in-2015/feed0LA LIBERTÉ ÉCLAIRANT LE MONDEhttp://www.secretnice.com/news/2015/01/la-liberte-eclairant-le-monde
http://www.secretnice.com/news/2015/01/la-liberte-eclairant-le-monde#respondSun, 11 Jan 2015 18:58:21 +0000http://www.secretnice.com/?p=721‘La Liberté éclairant le monde’, which translates as ‘Freedom lighting the World’ was the name given to the Statue of Liberty by the sculptor Auguste Bartholdi. One of the statues cast from the original mould now sits on Promenade Des Anglais. This name seems all the more fitting this weekend following the march in Nice […]

]]>‘La Liberté éclairant le monde’, which translates as ‘Freedom lighting the World’ was the name given to the Statue of Liberty by the sculptor Auguste Bartholdi. One of the statues cast from the original mould now sits on Promenade Des Anglais. This name seems all the more fitting this weekend following the march in Nice and other cities around France on Saturday and Paris today in support of the 17 people killed in Paris this week.

]]>http://www.secretnice.com/news/2015/01/la-liberte-eclairant-le-monde/feed0LA BELLE ÉPOQUEhttp://www.secretnice.com/things-to-do/2014/10/la-belle-epoque
http://www.secretnice.com/things-to-do/2014/10/la-belle-epoque#respondSun, 12 Oct 2014 21:42:00 +0000http://www.secretnice.com/?p=517In 1886 the Calais-Mediterrean Express, which linked London (via the Club Train) and Paris to the French Riviera was born and with it the belle époque made it’s way along the tracks to the French Riviera. The buildings from that time are dotted all over Nice. I have selected a few that best evoke the […]

]]>In 1886 the Calais-Mediterrean Express, which linked London (via the Club Train) and Paris to the French Riviera was born and with it the belle époque made it’s way along the tracks to the French Riviera. The buildings from that time are dotted all over Nice. I have selected a few that best evoke the stye of that time.

They can be found in the centre of Nice as well as Cimiez and Quartier des Musiciens.

]]>http://www.secretnice.com/things-to-do/2014/10/la-belle-epoque/feed0FROM CALVI TO AJACCIO – WHY WE HEART CORSICAhttp://www.secretnice.com/things-to-do/2014/10/from-calvi-to-ajaccio-why-we-heart-corsica
http://www.secretnice.com/things-to-do/2014/10/from-calvi-to-ajaccio-why-we-heart-corsica#respondSun, 12 Oct 2014 20:56:52 +0000http://www.secretnice.com/?p=585Corsica sits off the coast of Nice and is well worth visiting. Like the Scots, the Corsicans consider themselves Corsican before French and the tiny island has only been part of France for a little over 200 years. Part of the Republic of Geneo, briefly independent and even more briefly British, the question of […]

]]>Corsica sits off the coast of Nice and is well worth visiting. Like the Scots, the Corsicans consider themselves Corsican before French and the tiny island has only been part of France for a little over 200 years. Part of the Republic of Geneo, briefly independent and even more briefly British, the question of independence still comes up. With a tiny population and a reliance on farming and tourism, economically it would be virtually impossible for the country to strike out on its own. But in their hearts the Corsicans remain Corsican first.

Our trip to Corsican takes us from Calvi to Ajaccio. The contrasts between the South of France and Corsica couldn’t be more stark.

Calvi is a gem of a port, it is more like a fishing village, with a few big boats off the coast, than a working port town. After spending a little time meandering through it’s streets we head off for a little village perched high up in the hills. Pigna is about 45 minutes from Calvi by car and boasts spectacular views of the surrounding countryside.

Our BnB La Merendella is at the bottom of the village. Beautifully decorated with stone walls and shutters it is very simple but perfect for one or two nights. We wander off to find something to eat. This proves something of a challenge as the little village doesn’t have many places to eat and we have arrived so late not much is open. Luckily we stumble across a Palazzu Pigna. It has only just opened they have pretty much stopped serving but they take pity on us and we enjoy a sumptuous feast. Not cheap but worth every penny. We like it so much we head back for breakfast the next morning.

We have to tear ourselves away from Pigna. We are heading for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Calanche de Piana. We drive along the coast where the winding roads take us along the top of the red jagged cliffs, sometimes 900 metres above sea level. This is not for the faint hearted. My vertigo starts to get the better of me. Good thing I am not the one driving. The views are outstanding. The red rock cliff face is razor like. The cliff face must have been encased in ice and forced out of the sea a long time ago.

There are a number of little villages worth a look. But we head to the the white sandy beach of Arone. The beaches on this coast seem to belong to the tropics. The sea is crystal clear, the sand is pure white and there are a few of those red rocks sprinkled along the coast adding a little extra decoration. It is heaven.

Next stop is the Hotel les Rouches Rouges in Piana. With its arresting views of the coastline and slightly faded old world charm. The view of the bay of Porto is so beautiful it is difficult to tear yourself away to do anything else. I spend a few hours on the terrace.

All too soon, it is time to leave. As we carry along the A81 we encounter some goats who have taken over the road. That’s the thing about this part of Corsica, it is so sleepy and under developed. Goats have probably been grazing on these rocks for 100’s of years. We head towards Ajaccio. It is a lovely port town but somehow my three days on the Scandola coast have marked me. The hustle and bustle of streets, shops and cafés seem too ordinary. I’m not ready to return to civilisation. I just want to head back to the terrace at the Hotel les Rouches Rouges or the beach cafe at Arone. But we have booked our passage home on the ferry so we head back to Nice. A little subdued and already pining to go back.